I need a THICK 1/4 in+ clear plastic mat. 10 ft x 10 ft. Where can I find one?

Question

Similiar to the mats used under a chair & desk only much bigger. I have a daughter who is quadriplegic and I use an Invacare floor lift to get her from her chair to her bed and back again. Her bedroom has thick carpet and the wheels are going to wear tracks in the carpet as well as making it very difficult to move the lift around with her in it.

Answer 1

I'm an adaptive technician, and help people with things like this at work.

Just based on the info available, I have a few thoughts.

1. Change the carpet in her bedroom. It will be cheaper and more functional than the mat would be. Aim for a Berber carpet, or better yet, hardwood or laminated flooring. I understand the resistance to this, but if you look at functionality then you quickly see that thick carpets are not friendly for people with disabilities. (Besides- by the time you line the room with a sheet of plastic, which would look better?)

2. Consider a ceiling track lift system. Not super cheap, but these are great in home settings. It might also by Medicaid covered in your state.

3. My favorite source for rigid and semi-rigid plastics is http://www.usplastics.com. One thing you will quickly notice that most sheet plastic comes in 4'x8' sheets. You'll need to get a nearly unbreakable plastic to avoid having it shatter in use with the stresses you are talking about- Lexan or another polycarbonate. A single 48"x96"x1/4" sheet of Lexan will run you $265.82 (http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=68&product%5Fid=10718)

If you are still thinking about the idea of covering the carpet, remember that the lift will now perform as if it is riding on foam- you'll get a lot of rolling and weight shifting as the carpet under the mats compress. This sounds really, really unsafe to me.

Answer 2

Sams club has that.. The one for under your chair. Maybe you could put a few together or cut to size.. they are pretty sturdy.